Patterns are all around us, from those we create to those that nature gives us. Using pattern in the home adds detailing and texture, lifting a space to give it character. We’ve long been told that mixing patterns is ‘dangerous’ in terms of interior design but with patterns in fabrics, soft furnishings, wallpaper, bare brick wall and on the floor, just how do you create a cohesive style with patterns? We take a look, setting the patterned rugs in the living room as the main feature.
What fits your style?
If you are adding patterned living room rugs to an already decorated room, you will need to be clear about your style. For example, bold floral tropical prints are very much on trend but maybe don’t sit well in the ultra-industrial styled living room.
The Scandinavian furniture style never goes out of fashion but trends tweak it, adding warm twists. Using pattern rugs is an ideal way of lifting what some find a bare space. A warm abstract grey rug with white patterning slides into space without jarring against the basic principles of this style scheme. It fuses perfectly with an all-white backdrop, and the lighter woods and colours used in this type of scheme.
The geometric rug in this industrial living room sits well with the patterns in the wall under the window and the brickwork too. Paired with the velvet sofa, perfection is not hard to find…
Choose neutral, light tones for guaranteed success
We are considering adding patterned rugs to the living room with the décor in place, something we know many customers do. If you are renovating from scratch, designers suggest starting with the rug colour and bring the rest of the room to the rug.
However, with everything in situ, success in adding pattern comes in the style of pattern fitting with your overall room design but also colour.
Dark background to patterns can make them feel overly oppressive as well as old-fashioned and out of place in some cases. Opting for lighter, neutral tones is a guarantee of success. Imagine a white and sand rug alongside your reclaimed wood coffee table in your industrial style living room, and you can see just how successful it would be.
Be bold
Colour and pattern can lift a room but take care with boldness in both colour AND pattern. Occasionally what can work in a room is a bold colour with a traditional pattern rug, perfect for framing a leather armchair by the fireside or even alongside your leather sofa.
More than one patterned rug in the living room
Can you mix patterns? We often think the rule book says no but rules are meant to be broken…
Choose similar colours and patterns that are also similar such as a traditional pattern or a light coloured palette. A multi-coloured rug, for example, offers many possibilities. The great thing about using different styles of patterned rugs is they define areas and zones but, keeping a sense of cohesion with similar colours or patterns stops the feeling of the room feeling cluttered and disconnected.